Guardian Dragon
by Dragons Spirit
Summary: It has been 12 long years, and a hero long forgotten has returned to the Leaf. Naruto has been ignored and abused, but that is all about to change. Watch as he changes from dead last to the stuff of legends. Of course with the help of his friends along the way.
1. Prologue

**__****Disclaimer: I own nothing affiliated with these Anime's/Manga's; all copyright belongs to the creators**

**Prologue: The Beginning**

* * *

It started out like any other day. Morning came and everyone went about their normal business, but unbeknownst to the hidden leaf village; this day would change their lives forever. This is the day that the nine tailed fox would attack.

"Seal" came a near death Minato. The Kyuubi gave one last final roar before disappearing into the seal of a newborn Naruto. Minato dropped to his knees as he felt death coming for him; blood profusely flowing from the hole in his chest. He looked to his son and smiled as Naruto began to cry.

"Shh... It's ok Naruto... You're safe now" His eyes moved to the seal on young Naruto's stomach.

"I'm so sorry Naruto... I hope you can forgive me" said Minato as a tear slid down his face. His eyes then drifted to his now dead wife. Another tear fell from his dark blue eyes.

"Kushina..." Minato managed to get out before coughing up a large amount of blood. His body began to fall back before being caught by an ANBU. The ANBU gently set the young hokage down. He was then joined by the third hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Kami…Minato… you… " said the old kage.

"Fox…summoned… Mask… Sharingan… got away…" Minato coughed out again. "K-Kushina…" The third hokage looked to the Anbu who was checking for a pulse. He looked up to the older hokage and shook his head. Hiruzen turned back to the dying kage.

"Minato, I swear we'll find out who did this" Minato looked at Hiruzen and smiled as he drew his last breath, the life leaving his eyes. Hiruzen closed Minato's eyes and tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall.

"Sleep well my friend" said the anbu as he lowered his head in respect of the dead kage. Neither had a chance to mourn before the crying of a new born baby shattered the silence. Hiruzen made his way to the infant and picked him up gently; cradling him in his arms.

"That child is a hero." said the anbu as he stood up. Hiruzen turned to the anbu and frowned.

"Yes, but unfortunately he will have a rough life ahead of him."

"Your orders, Sir"

"Right… Dragon, contain the area, and seal the bodies, report to my office when you're finished" The anbu nodded and with that, the old hokage bolted off towards the village. The anbu unrolled two scrolls and then proceeded to seal both bodies into the scrolls. He rolled up the scrolls and put them into his vest. A slight glimmer caught his eye and picked up the tri-pronged kunai of the fourth hokage. He sighed and vanished into the cold night air.

* * *

Hiruzen was pacing back and forth in his office, still trying to comprehend what happened tonight. The anbu member, known as Dragon, gracefully made his way through the open window. He laid the two scrolls down on the desk.

"Lord Hokage… Do you have any idea who might be behind this?" asked Dragon. Hiruzen continued to pace back and forth.

"What about the Uchiha? Minato did say this man possessed the sharingan." Dragon leaned himself against the wall.

"I will have them investigated, but I don't think it was anyone inside the clan." Hiruzen answered

"How so?"

"The only Uchiha I have ever known to be able to summon or control the kyuubi was Madara Uchiha and he is long dead. Though I do feel it was an Uchiha, it wasn't anyone from the clan"

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because the strongest Uchiha is the current clan head Fugaku Uchiha and he is nowhere near the strength that Madara possessed" Dragon glanced to the bundled baby lying down on the cushioned couch.

"What will happen to the boy?"

"He will be safe and will not know of his heritage until his sixteenth birthday or when he makes jounin. He will be Naruto Uzumaki"

"His mother's name?"

"Minato had many enemies; it would be unwise to claim him as the fourth's son."

"I see anything else, Lord Hokage?" asked Dragon. Hiruzen paced for a few moments then sat down at the desk.

"Yes Dragon, I have a mission for you. This is an SS class mission and will not be recorded in any mission logs until it is complete. You are to find this masked man and bring him back to the village dead or alive. Take as long as you need and only contact with updates, Understand?"

"What of my clan?"

"I will make sure your clan is protected, seeing as how you are the only member left in my ranks."

"I'm also its Leader"

"I understand, but you are the only one that can track this man down. I wouldn't ask if I had another choice, but you are my best shinobi"

Dragon stood silent for a few moments and then sighed,

"Not much of a choice I guess, Minato was also a good friend of mine. I accept."

"Thank you, I would suggest you talk to Iroh before leaving." Dragon nodded and placed his mask down on the desk before turning to the child one last time. His dark blue eyes glowing in the moonlight; hidden behind his deep brown hair. A single tear made its way down his face as he leapt out into night. The third hokage stared at the window for a few seconds before sighing.

"I truly am sorry…"

**Hey everyone, thank you for reading and I hope you like it, this if my first fic so please be easy on the flames. If you have any suggestions on how to make my story, grammar, or writing better, please let me know. Thanks and I hope you enjoy! -Spirit**


	2. Return

"_Speaking"_

'_Thinking'_

**Chapter 1: Return**

* * *

It has been twelve long years since the Kyuubi attack. The village had rebuilt and flourished over the years. The sun was shining brightly this morning and the village was busy as shop owners began to open their stores for the day. Birds were singing in the trees and flowers were beginning to bloom; the smell of spring in the air as a lone figure was making his way to the peaceful village. Two guards sitting atop the large wall made out the figure walking towards the massive gates. One of the guards whistled to the two guards on the ground level and raised one finger. They both looked up and whistled back in a slightly lower tone. As the figure got closer, the two guards gripped their spears ready for anything.

"Halt! State your business!" Shouted one the guards, but the figure continued to walk. They could not see his face as the tall figure was wearing a black cloak and hood. As the figure approached they then noticed the large sword that adorned his back. They gripped their spears tighter and raised them to attack. The two guards on top of the wall had their fingers hovering over their shuriken and kunai; ready to let them fly at a moment's notice.

"I said halt or you will die!" The guard shouted again. The cloaked figure took a few more steps then stopped.

"Yo" said the cloaked man with a wave.

"State your business traveler" said the second guard.

"I am a leaf shinobi returning from a mission" replied the man.

"Papers?" asked the first guard.

"Yeah… about that, you see I was… wait a second… Izumo and Kotetsu? Is that you? You two have sure grown since I last saw you" said the cloaked man. Izumo and Kotetsu both stared at each other for a second before turning back to the man with a look of confusion. It was at that time, Izumo looked to the gold buckle on his right shoulder, holding his cloak together. It was an elegant design with a dragon as its symbol. Izumo's eyes widened as he stared at the man.

"No way… You're-"Izumo was interrupted as an orange and blonde blur zoomed by them. Other blurs followed but these were bright pink. One of the blurs stopped to catch his breath revealing to be a chuunin covered in pink paint.

"Get back here you little brat!" Shouted the chuunin.

"What's going on?" asked Kotetsu.

"That stupid kid planted a paint bomb in the Chuunin offices!" He replied before taking chase once again. Kotetsu looked at Izumo.

"You think it was him?" asked Kotetsu. The cloaked man raised an eyebrow.

"The Uzumaki kid? No doubt about it." Answered Izumo. The cloaked man's eyes widened and took the moment of distraction to disappear into the village.

"Anyway… back to- Hey! Where'd he go! Contact ANBU and tell them to send out search parties and lockdown the exits, he must be somewhere in the village" Izumo ordered and the other three chuunin bolted off.

* * *

Naruto Uzumaki was making his way down a busy street. Dodging and weaving his way around people, shops, and stands with multiple pink men right on his tail. Naruto eyed an alley coming up on his right.

'Heh, perfect!' He thought.

"You'll have to move faster if you want to catch me!" Naruto shouted.

"You little brat!" screamed one of the pink chuunins. Naruto jumped through a food stand and grabbed a metal pole; sling shooting him into the alley.

'Five seconds' he thought as he began to gather his chakra.

'C'mon Naruto, you've been practicing for weeks… two seconds'

"Transform!" a puff of smoke and in Naruto's place stood a slightly shorter and chubbier third hokage.

"Ah crap, not quite there" said the pudgy transformed Naruto. The pink chuunin's had rounded the corner and almost ran into the transformed Naruto.

'AH MAN! I'm so busted!' thought Naruto as he began to sweat.

"Lord Hokage! I'm so sorry I didn't see you there… um… we can explain about us being pink" said one of the pink ninja. While the chuunin began to explain what happened, a ninja cloaked in black sat atop the roof opposite of the alley.

'You have got to be joking' thought the cloaked man as he watched the chuunin talk to the obviously fake third hokage.

"So... that's why we're looking for him." The chuunin finished. Naruto stood there too shocked to say anything.

"Lord Hokage?" asked another pink chuunin.

"Uh… It seems that you are the one at fault here, not Naruto" said the fake third. All the chuunin present gave him a look of confusion.

"Obviously if he were able to break in and plant a paint bomb right under your noses, he must be a super awesome ninja, better then all of you." Continued Naruto. The pink chuunins couldn't believe what they were hearing, and it was definitely visible on their faces. Naruto finally decided to let them have it.

"Now, because I am feeling generous today, you are to go back and clean it spotless. If I find one spec of pink, you will all be demoted to genin, am I understood?" said the fake hokage. All the pink ninja's eyes widened in shock and fear.

"Yes, Sir!" they replied in unison and scattered. Naruto waited another few moments until they were all gone before dispelling the transformation. He couldn't hold it in anymore and began laughing. The cloaked man stood and chuckled before darting off towards the hokage tower. Naruto continued to laugh until he heard his doom calling.

"Ahem" came a voice from behind him. Naruto knew instantly who it was as his laughing came to a stop. Naruto looked behind him and saw Iruka. Yupp, definitely his doom.

"Have fun, Naruto?" asked the scarred chuunin. Naruto gulped and turned around.

"Uh… hey Iruka-sensei" said Naruto with fear written on his face.

* * *

The third hokage walked into his office and closed the door behind him; he took a few steps and stopped. Something just didn't feel right; he cautiously made his way to his desk as he kept his senses wide open. As soon as he sat down Hiruzen grabbed the kunai hidden under his desk and spun in his chair. His kunai met a knife and a loud clang was heard.

"Who are you and how did you get in here?" asked the third hokage.

"Geez old man, is that anyway to treat an old friend?" said the cloaked man. Hiruzen continued to stare at him until he noticed the knife he was wielding. It was a little longer then a kunai and slightly curved, but it had a beautiful ivory sheen to it. His eyes widened in surprise as he lowered his kunai.

"K-Kaito?" asked the old kage. The man referred to as Kaito took his hood off revealing the messy dark brown hair and the deep blue eyes that he hadn't seen in years.

"You look older Hiruzen, not losing your edge are you?" laughed Kaito. His laughter was cut short as the older man embraced him. Kaito smiled and returned the hug. Hiruzen released him and sat back down in his chair while Kaito walked around to the front of the desk.

"I thought you had been killed, your last report was at least eight years ago." Said Hiruzen

"Trust me; I didn't think I would be gone this long. I actually had not planned to come back to the Leaf until about a week ago."

"What changed?"

"The trail ran cold, I ran out of leads"

"So the mission was a failure then…"

"Not quite"

"Report"

"I did find him, but I didn't make contact until about a year ago. Although it was a brief encounter, it is only a matter of time until we see him again." Kaito placed a rolled up piece of ripped fabric in front of the third hokage. The third picked it up and unraveled it. Said fabric was slightly torn around the edges, the image of a cloud as red as blood imprinted on it.

* * *

**Here is the next chapter guys! Hope you liked it! The third will be on it's way soon, so until then. -Spirit**


	3. A Secret and Regret

"Speaking"

'Thinking'

**Chapter 2: A Secret and regret**

* * *

The third hokage stared at the piece of fabric in his hand. He had never before seen such a thing, yet it sent shivers down his spine.

"What does it mean" asked the third.

"I'm not sure, rumor has it that it belongs to a secret organization made of several members. They are believed to be very dangerous and not to be trifled with." Kaito replied.

"What is their motive?"

"I have no idea, I realize it's not much to go on, but… he said that the end is near."

"Knowing the damage he caused years ago, we shouldn't take this lightly" The third placed the torn fabric into a hidden drawer; right next to an infamous orange book.

"I'll contact Jiraiya about this and I'll see what he can find out." Kaito nodded.

"Now Kaito, thank you for your work, I will consider this mission a success."

"Thank you lord hokage, I do have some questions for you now"

"Ask away"

"I was wondering how Naruto was-"The two were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come in" said the third hokage. The door opened and in stepped Iruka dragging a pleading Naruto. Kaito could only stare at the young boy who he hadn't seen since Naruto was a baby. He swore he was looking at a younger version of Minato.

'He looks just like his father' thought Kaito.

"Please please please Iruka-sensei, Let me go! I promise I won't do it again, just don't bring me to old… man… hokage… uh… hey there gramps" said a very nervous Naruto.

'Acts just like his mother though' Kaito thought as he smiled.

"Go on Naruto, tell him what happened." Said Iruka, nudging the young boy forward.

"Erm… I'd rather not…" replied Naruto. A tick mark formed on Iruka's forehead. He grabbed the top of Naruto's head and squeezed it. Kaito's deep blue eyes began to glow as he grabbed the hilt of the blade he carried on his back.

"What was that you little brat?" said Iruka as he squeezed a little harder. Naruto grabbed Iruka's hand and tried to free himself from the vice-like grip.

"Gah! C'mon Iruka-sensei, it was just a joke!" yelled Naruto. Kaito's eyes glowed even brighter and faster than even the third hokage could follow; Kaito had the tip of his blade to Iruka's throat. Iruka saw his reflection in the giant sword and gulped.

"It would be wise for you to release him…" said Kaito. His eyes, even in the daylight glowed brightly. Naruto could only stare at the strange man who threatened his teacher. The third hokage tapped Kaito on the shoulder.

"That's enough Kaito, as for you Naruto; I think it's about time for you to go." Hiruzen said. Kaito continued to stare at Iruka, but eventually lowered his blade and placed it on his back once more. Iruka hadn't moved a muscle as he had yet to process what just happened.

"R-right" Naruto said before beginning to turn around slowly and walk away. As soon as Naruto reached the door, the hokage cleared his throat.

"Oh and Naruto; no more paint bombs please" said Hiruzen. Naruto sweat dropped and gulped before putting on an ear to ear grin.

"No promises gramps! See ya later!" said Naruto before bolting out of the room. The hokage sighed and sat down behind his desk once more.

"Someone want to explain what just happened" said Iruka.

"That's exactly what I would like to know" Kaito said as his gaze shifted to Hiruzen. The third hokage looked between the two and sighed again.

"Why was Naruto being treated with such disrespect! That boy is a hero, especially after what he's doing for this village!" shouted Kaito.

"It's complicated…" said the third hokage.

"Complicated?! I've been gone for twelve years and all you can give me is complicated!" yelled Kaito.

"It was a time of distress Kaito; I could only do so much for-"

"Distress… No, distress would be you leaving your home for twelve years to look for a man who caused the greatest disaster in the history of the leaf… and then coming up with almost nothing. To have to worry about my home, my friends, my clan, and my friends son! So you better start explaining…" The third stared at Kaito before sighing. He then began to explain Naruto's upbringing. He told him of the orphanage that Naruto was raised in, the almost daily beatings. How almost the entire village despised him. The further he went into the story, the angrier Kaito became.

"Minato did have friends… Why wasn't he placed with you and the Sarutobi Clan or the Hyuuga clan? You said he would be safe!"

"I did all I could for him!" Hiruzen shouted.

"I tried to take him in! Even Hiashi Hyuuga and Shibi Aburame offered to take him, but the council would not allow it. Then Danzo offered to place him in ROOT. Putting him in an orphanage and having Anbu watch over him was the only option I had left that would keep him away from Danzo!" At this point Hiruzen was standing up and practically screaming. Kaito tightened his fists and if not for the black fingerless gloves he was wearing; his hands would be bleeding. They stood there glaring at each other for a few moments before Hiruzen sighed once more and dropped back into his chair.

"The fourth would be ashamed of me… I tried my best, but it still wasn't good enough." Hiruzen said. Kaito continued his glare for a minute, but eventually relaxed and suddenly found the floor very interesting.

"No, It's my fault if I had been here or come back sooner… maybe I could have spared him this hard life" replied Kaito.  
"Naruto is the fourth's son?" said Iruka; getting the attention of the two men. Kaito and Hiruzen clearly forgetting his presence. Kaito turned his head to Iruka for a moment then back to the third and nodded.

"It is true; Naruto is the son of the fourth" said Hiruzen. Iruka just stood there and stared at the third. He then suddenly dropped to his knees.

"Please forgive me for my disrespect to him, I meant no harm." Iruka pleaded.

"I'm well aware of your feelings towards the boy, after all your parents died in the fox's attack." Responded Hiruzen.

"This is classified information though Iruka; if you speak of this, the punishment is death." Said Hiruzen. Iruka stood up and nodded. He could tell from his tone that he wasn't joking.

"Yes Lord Hokage, I'll take my leave now. It was nice to meet you Kaito." Iruka said.

"The same to you. Sorry about the whole almost killing you thing. I shouldn't have lost my temper like that." Kaito replied.

"It's no trouble, Naruto is special to you. I apologize for my disrespect." Said Iruka as he made his way out of the room.

"Where is he living now?" asked Kaito.

"I placed him in a small apartment in the shinobi district"

"No one that young should live by themselves, I will take him in and train him as well."

"The council will not consent to this"

"That's true, but the Leaf's Guardian only takes orders from the hokage. Kaito smirked as he saw the look of surprise on Hiruzen's face.

"Minato?"

"A week before the Kyuubi attack." Hiruzen smiled and lit his pipe.

"Very well Kaito, but only if he wants too"

"Of course" Kaito then vanished in a swirl of blue flames.

'Things are going to be a lot more interesting around here' thought Hiruzen as he began his morning paperwork.

* * *

"What will it be today Naruto?" asked Ayame as she smiled. She and her father Teuchi had always been very kind to Naruto; he was also there best customer.

"One large pork ramen please!" said Naruto.

"Make that two, and make as many as he wants, my treat" said Kaito as took the seat beside Naruto. Naruto's eyes lit up.

"Coming right up!" Ayame replied. Naruto stared at the man who sat beside him.

"Um… Do I know you?" asked Naruto

"Oh that's right, my name is Kaito Draconiz, how are you doing today Naruto?"

"Erm… good I guess" Naruto eye the man suspiciously.

"You sure have grown quite a bit, the last time I saw you, you were just a baby" Naruto eyes widened at this, but was distracted when Teuchi placed the two bowls in front of them.

"Enjoy guys!" said the older man.

"Itadakimasu!" said a joyful Naruto as he began to dig into his ramen. Kaito could only laugh as he began to eat his own. They sat in silence for a few minutes enjoying their ramen.

"Why are you being so nice to me and why did you defend me against Iruka-sensei? I mean the rest of the village hates me so… why don't you?" asked Naruto. Kaito stopped eating and turned his head to the young boy.

"I made a promise to a friend"

"Who?"

"Maybe in a few years kid" Kaito smiled and continued eating. Naruto stared for a few moments, but eventually shrugged and finished his ramen. Before he even put the bowl down there was another one waiting for him. Naruto eyes gleamed with happiness as he began to dig into his second bowl.

"I noticed you're having trouble with the transformation jutsu" Naruto practically choked on his ramen hearing this.

"Kinda… I can't get the clone jutsu down either" said Naruto.

"Apparently it was good enough to fool all those chuunin's though." Kaito said as he smirked at Naruto.

"You saw that?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, but why don't you ask for help from your teachers?"

"Because I'm dead last in my class, plus they like to spend all their time training Sasuke"

"Sasuke?"

"Yeah, Sasuke Uchiha… they call him a prodigy or something like that so they don't have time for me. Plus they don't like to deal with me anyway…" Naruto said with low tone. Kaito could practically feel the pain in his voice.

"But it doesn't matter because one day I'm going to be hokage! Then everyone will acknowledge me!" Naruto said proudly. Kaito smiled at the boy and began on his second bowl.

"If that is your reason to become hokage then you should quit now" Naruto stopped eating and turned to him.

"What?! Why?!" Naruto practically screamed at him.

"If being acknowledged is all you want then you shouldn't be hokage. That title carries a lot of work and dedication." Kaito replied.

"What would you know about being hokage?" Naruto said pointing a finger at him.

"Tell me are you willing to lay down your life for this village, for the people who have scorned you? Would you protect your most precious people?" Kaito asked. Naruto eyes widened in shock and lowered his arm.

"Being hokage means sacrificing your life at a moment's notice, even for someone you hate. Could you do that?" Naruto couldn't say anything. He had never really thought about dying for his village, he just wanted everyone to stop hating him. Kaito turned back to his ramen.

"If you can't do that, then you don't deserve to be hokage." There were a few moments of silence before Naruto spoke again.

"Yes… I would die for this village…" Naruto whispered. Kaito stopped eating and put his hand to his ear.

"What was that? Didn't quite catch that."

"I would die for this village! I would die for anyone in it even the people who hate me! I'll protect them all with my life!" Naruto said confidently. Kaito smiled and finished his ramen.

"Good, now hurry and finish your ramen so we can begin your training"

"You're gonna train me?" Naruto asked with a look of happiness.

"That's right, let's go get your things." Kaito stood and reached into his pocket and pulled out a small gold bar and placed it on the table.

"Keep the change, old man" Kaito smiled. Teuchi stared at the gold bar with money signs in his eyes and repeatedly thanked Kaito. Ayame practically had to hold her father down from diving over the bar and hugging the man. Naruto thanked them for the ramen and walked out of the stand with Kaito. Naruto was jumping for joy; not knowing he would begin his training under one of the leaf's most powerful shinobi.

* * *

**Hey there, thanks for reading, sorry this chapter took as long as it did! chapter 3 is in progress now! -Spirit**

**(Completely didn't realize that i put chapter 3 instead of 2, my bad!)**


	4. Training and an Old Friend

"Speaking"

'Thinking'

**Chapter 3: Training and an Old Friend**

* * *

"I can't believe I'm going to get personal training! And from the way you used that sword earlier, you must be super strong! That'll show Sasuke! Then maybe Sakura-chan will start liking me and not that teme!" said Naruto as he walked alongside Kaito. Kaito could only laugh at the boy.

'He sure does talk a lot' thought Kaito. They finally made their way up the stairs and stopped in front of Naruto's door. Kaito looked at the beaten and old door. On it could clearly be seen the remnants of words like 'demon' or 'monster'. They could be barely seen as someone had tried to wash them off. Naruto unlocked the door to the small apartment and stepped inside with Kaito following.

'How could Hiruzen let this happen?' Thought Kaito as he tightened his fists once more. Even on the inside you could barely see 'killer', 'get the hell out', and 'die demon'.

'I am so sorry Naruto' Kaito thought as Naruto began to rummage through his apartment. Kaito looked around the small 2 room apartment. The small living room had an adjoining kitchen. There was a door to his right which he assumed was the bathroom because the door to his left was open and he could see a bed amongst the sea of Naruto's clothes. He went to the kitchen and frowned as he saw the rotten or stale food.

"Aha! Found them!" said Naruto as he walked out of his room with a kunai holster and weapon pouch. He placed the pouch on the back left of his waist and tied the holster to his right thigh.

"Ready to go!' said an exuberant Naruto. Kaito turned his attention back to Naruto and smiled.

"Let's get going then" said Kaito, he turned and walked out of the apartment with Naruto following close behind as they made their way out into the streets once again.

* * *

It was a normal day for a certain lavender eyed girl. The sun shone brightly on her dark violet hair as she hummed a sweet tune to herself. Hinata Hyuuga was walking along the busy road; waiving and smiling to the villagers around her. As she rounded the corner, she ran into the person she had not expected to see today. She fell to the ground, dropping the bags she was carrying. Dazed for a moment; she opened her eyes to a pair of cerulean blue eyes.

"I'm sorry Hinata, I didn't see you there" said Naruto. As soon as Hinata realized who it was; a blush crept across her face.

"N-Naruto-kun, n-no it was my f-fault. I wasn't w-watching where I was going." Hinata said as Naruto offered his hand. Hinata stared at the hand for a moment before taking it. Her blush deepened as her hand made contact with his. Kaito smiled at the small interaction then noticed the groceries on the ground.

"Excuse me Miss Hyuuga; I'm sorry for the trouble. May we carry your groceries for you?" Kaito said politely. Hinata turned to Kaito.

"It's okay, Y-you don't have too." Hinata said in a soft tone. Kaito shook his head.

"Please I insist." Kaito said warmly.

"She just said it was ok." Said Naruto; who in turn received a small knock on the head from Kaito.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"Be polite Naruto and grab her bags." Kaito said as he looked at Naruto, his eyes slightly glowing. Naruto grumbled as he picked up Hinata's groceries.

"We'll have to work on your manners as well" said Kaito as Naruto sent him a glare. Hinata giggled softly.

"Please Miss Hyuuga, lead the way" Kaito said and smiled. Hinata nodded and began to walk in the direction on the Hyuuga Compound. As the three of them made their way to the Hyuuga's, Kaito couldn't help but notice Hinata glance at Naruto every few minutes. Something that went unnoticed by the blond. They made small talk until Hinata stopped in front of a pair of guards that were standing at the gate, their byakugan active. The two guards moved aside after she explained the situation. They walked into the large estate, passing a few other Hyuuga's on the way. They also passed by a huge garden full of flowers of various sizes and colors, the flowers sweet aroma wafting through the air. Naruto stared in awe of the colorful plants, but continued on until they reached the kitchen. Naruto set the bags down on the table.

"T-Thank you for the help… um…?"

"Kaito Draconiz, It's a pleasure to meet you, Hinata" Kaito said as he gave a small bow. Hinata smiled and bowed in return. She then turned to Naruto as the small blush appeared on her face once more.

"T-Thank you as well, N-Naruto-Kun" said Hinata.

"No problem, Hinata!" said Naruto as he grinned.

"Well if it isn't Kaito Draconiz." Said a new voice from behind Naruto. All three of them turned to see Hiashi Hyuuga walking towards them. Kaito smiled as he met the man halfway. They both reached forward and grabbed each other's fore arms.

"How have you been Hiashi?" asked a grinning Kaito.

"I have been well, yourself?" Hiashi said with a small smile.

"I've been alright"

"Where have you been all these years?" asked Hiashi as they released each other. Kaito glanced at the two children and then back to Hiashi.

"A tale for another time, my friend." Kaito said.

"F-Father? You know him?" asked Hinata. Hiashi looked to his daughter.

"Indeed I do, Kaito and I were on the same Anbu team when we were younger." Hiashi replied.

"You were in Anbu?" Naruto asked Kaito. On the inside, Naruto was becoming even more excited about training with Kaito. He turned to Naruto.

"Yes I was, but that was a long time ago." Kaito answered before turning back to Hiashi.

"And Father?" Kaito asked. Hiashi nodded in response.

"Wow a lot has changed" Kaito said and laughed.

"So what do I owe the honor?" Hiashi asked.

"We were just helping Hinata here with her groceries. Naruto ran into her." Kaito answered as Hiashi shifted his gaze to the blond. Naruto could practically feel his blood freeze as his eyes met Hiashi's.

"Is that so?" Hiashi said, not once looking away from Naruto.

"That's right, but unfortunately we must take our leave. We have training to do. I'll stop by soon and we can catch up." Kaito said as he patted Hiashi on the back. Hiashi nodded again and smiled slightly as he looked back to his old friend. Kaito then turned to Hinata and gave a small bow.

"Good day Lady Hinata" Kaito said. Kaito motioned for Naruto to follow and walked back down the hallway.

"See you at school Hinata!" Naruto said before running after Kaito.

Naruto and Kaito were once again trekking through the village, but before they got very far, the two were stopped by Hinata once more. She handed Naruto a small jar.

"I-I thought you m-might need this. If your g-going to train." Hinata said. Naruto opened the jar and examined the medicinal cream inside, meant for bruises and small cuts.

"Wow, thanks Hinata!" Naruto said and smiled at her. Hinata's blush increased at the smile. She quickly turned around and made her way back to the compound.

* * *

They rounded the corner where Naruto had run into Hinata. This time being careful not to run into anyone else.

"So, she was nice." Kaito said breaking the silence. Naruto looked up to Kaito.

"Yeah, I guess. I don't really talk to her though."

"Why not? She didn't seem to have any negative feelings towards you." Naruto shrugged his shoulders in response, but on the inside he knew Kaito was right. Hinata had never shown any dislike to him. He looked back towards the road and met eyes with a young girl with bright pink hair. Naruto was just about to call out to the girl, when suddenly memories of all the times that Sakura had hit him, made fun of, or ignored him flooded his head. He broke eye contact with her and continued on his way. They were just about to pass her when Sakura spoke up.

"What do you want now, baka?" asked Sakura. Naruto looked up at her for a moment then continued on his way; not saying a word. This confused Sakura to no end as she thought he would have asked her on a date or something, but no he just kept walking. That was when she noticed the tall man Naruto was walking beside and talking too. She stared at them until they rounded another corner and continued her on her way.

"Who was that?" asked Kaito.

"That was Sakura. She's the smartest in my class." Naruto said in a dull tone. Kaito glanced at the boy, noticing the lack of chan added to her name.

"She seemed loud. Like a banshee" said Kaito, which in turn made Naruto continued until they reached a small grove of trees. They walked into the grove that seemed to be abuzz with life. The birds were chirping and singing and colorful flowers could be seen along the roots of the trees. They stopped in front of a large archway that Naruto guessed was made of stone. There were 3 symbols etched on every other portion of stone on both sides of the arch with another symbol at the very top.

"Ready?" Asked Kaito.

"For what?" Naruto replied. Kaito smirked at the young boy and took a few steps towards the arch. Kaito used his right hand to make a single hand sign. Naruto stared at him as nothing happened for a few moments. Suddenly chakra burst from Kaito. It began to swirl around him and took the form of blue flames. Slowly one by one the symbols lit up until all 7 were glowing. Naruto stared in awe at the pure intensity of Kaito's chakra; he had never before seen blue flames. It was then he noticed that the image inside the archway changed from the dark trees behind it to a sunlit field. The image rippled like he was staring through water . The blue flames began to die down and Kaito turned to Naruto.

"Let's go, Naruto." Kaito said as he turned to the arch and walked through it, disappearing into the rippling image. Naruto gulped and slowly followed Kaito through the arch. As soon as Naruto passed through, the image changed back to the trees of the forest and the symbols ceased glowing. When Naruto reached the other side his vision was blurry and he felt ready to throw up. He went down to all fours and tried to keep from spilling the contents of his stomach.

"Sorry about that, the first time through the portal is always the roughest." Kaito said as he softly patted Naruto's back.

"Ugh… What the hell was that?" asked Naruto.

"It's a portal; it connects my land to the leaf village." Replied Kaito. The feeling in Naruto's stomach finally subsided and his vision became clear again as he began to stand back up. As soon as he looked up he saw the sunlit field he had seen in the archway. Across the large field he could see another tree line. As Naruto and Kaito walked away from the arch and exited the grove of trees he noticed that they were exiting a tree line of their own. Naruto looked to his left and saw that both tree lines began to converge at the end with a small opening and a dirt road at the end. He could also see the leaf that seemed to be only a few miles away. He then looked to his right and his eyes widened in shock. There stood a colossal structure atop a steep over hanging cliff.

"Welcome to the Draconiz Estate" Kaito said proudly as he began to walk towards the giant building. Naruto stared at the building for a few more seconds before catching up with Kaito. As they neared the estate it only seemed to grow larger and larger. Naruto had never seen a building as big as the one before him. They veered off to the left and made their way down a gradually descending slope. At the bottom of the slope was a big pond with a single cherry blossom tree by its side. Kaito sat underneath and leaned his back against the tree and sighed.

"It's good to be home" said Kaito as he took a deep breath of the fresh air around him.

"So what are you gonna teach me first! Am I going to learn a super cool jutsu! C'mon tell me!" Naruto said.

"Enough Naruto" said Kaito as he glared at Naruto. Naruto was surprised by the sudden change of tone in his voice.

"From now on, you will address me as Kaito-sensei and you will listen to my every command without question, understood." Kaito said with authority in his voice. Naruto squirmed under the intense glare.

"Y-Yes Sensei" Naruto said as he nodded.

"Good now before I begin to teach you jutsu, we must first work on a few other things."

"Like what?"

"You must have the stamina, strength, and control to counter a jutsu's drawbacks. You have 4 months before the next exam. In that time you will train to increase your stamina, strength, chakra control, and your studies. Most importantly, your manners." Naruto gave Kaito a weird look.

"I know the last two sound a little weird, but sometimes brute strength and jutsu cannot complete a mission. Sometimes all you can rely on are your smarts. Whether it's a diplomatic mission or taking on a rogue ninja; I guarantee that you will graduate as rookie of the year!" Kaito said as he smiled. Naruto became all the more excited.

"Yes! I'm ready sensei!" Naruto shouted excitedly as he pumped his fist into the air. Kaito couldn't help but smile wider at his new apprentice.

"Alright then, give me 500 laps around this pond" Kaito said, resuming his authoritative tone. Naruto took off as his training had begun.

* * *

**Well here it is, Chapter 3, Thanks for reading! If you guys have an suggestions on how my story could be better then let me know! Until next time! -Spirit**


	5. Friendship and, What the hell!

"Speaking"

'Thinking'

'**Kyuubi'**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Friendship and… What the hell?!**

* * *

Over the past month Naruto trained with Kaito after he was released from class and every day he would meet Kaito at the arch. He was becoming stronger, faster and… somewhat smarter. Naruto was progressing faster than Kaito thought. Unfortunately Naruto found a snag in his training; when it came to chakra control his progress moved at a snail's pace.

"Again" said Kaito as he sat in the shade of the cherry blossom tree. Naruto was on all fours trying to catch his breath as he looked up and glared at his sensei. Naruto gripped the kunai in his hand.

"I got it!" shouted Naruto as he looked back to the tree in front of him; focusing chakra to his feet. He took off in full sprint and began running up the tree.

'Come on Naruto' thought Kaito.

Naruto noticed he was losing traction, but before he jumped off, he made a cut into the tree. Naruto landed on his feet and fell to one knee in exhaustion. Kaito looked at the tree that was riddled with cuts and sighed.

"Again" said Kaito as he took a sip from his tea. Naruto glared at him; sweat dripping off his face. He turned his glare towards the tree.

'This time for sure!" thought Naruto. He gathered chakra to his feet once more and began to sprint up the tree. Unfortunately for Naruto, he gathered too much and only made it halfway up the tree before he was blown off from the chakra. Naruto landed on his head and was knocked unconscious; sliding to a stop. Kaito sighed once more and stood up.

"Time for some more tea." Kaito said. He stood up and began to make his way to the estate. It was a few minutes before Naruto opened his eyes again.

"Damn! Why can't I get this!" Naruto shouted, slamming his fist into the ground. He sat up and threw the kunai into tree. He sighed and lied back down on the soft grass. That was when he saw a boy carrying a hunk of raw meat as large as his head, walking towards him. The boy in question was wearing black ninja pants with a dark grey stripe running up the right side and a matching dark grey jacket cut at the elbows with holsters on the arms that held a few scrolls. On his right hand was a black glove with metal guards on the knuckles and underneath the jacket was a black armored mesh shirt. He had silver hair that slightly fell over his leaf headband and bright red eyes. He also had a sword strapped to his waist, it had a red and white braided hilt and at the end was a large emerald that looked to be held in place by gold. Naruto stood up and waived to the silver haired boy. In all his time spent at the estate, he was convinced that Kaito lived alone.

"Hey there, I'm-"

"Don't care." interrupted the silver haired boy. Naruto's waive turned into a fist and lowered his arm.

"Well excuse me for being friendly." Naruto said as he walked to the tree and grabbed the kunai.

"Whatever" replied the silver haired boy as he brought his free hand to his mouth and made a whistling sound. Naruto stared at the boy before he heard a weird roar off in the distance.

"What was that?" asked Naruto, but the boy only ignored him. The sound of flapping wings could be heard and it was gradually getting louder. The young boy turned towards Naruto and smiled. Naruto gave the boy a confused look and turned around. That's when he saw a large green dragon come barreling just over the top of the cherry blossom tree; scattering it's petals in the air. It banked left around the large body of water before slowing down and landing in front of the young boy. The dragon had emerald green scales and the same red eyes as the boy, only the dragon's pupils were slitted. It stood on four legs and tucked its massive wings to its sides. It stood at eight feet high with one horn protruding from the top of its head and on its tail was a massive axe-like club. Naruto stared in awe of the creature and was visibly shaking.

"T-T-That's a-"

"Dragon? Yeah." The boy interrupted again and scratched the underside of its massive jaw. He picked up the slab of raw meat and threw it up in the air. The dragon lifted its head and snatched it. It brought its head back down to the boy and growled.

"Yeah we can go flying if you want." The boy said as he pulled a scroll from its holster. He opened the scroll and placed his hand on a seal. He focused a little bit of chakra to his hand and smoke exploded from the seal. When the smoke cleared, a saddle could be seen. Naruto gawked at the boy and when he saw the saddle his mind started to put two and two together.

"You're going to ride that thing!?" blurted Naruto. The dragon turned its head to Naruto and snarled. The boy placed his hand on its snout trying to calm the beast.

"No, you can't kill him and her name is Melra, got it." Said the boy as he glared at Naruto, who quickly nodded his head. The boy picked up the saddle and started to strap it into place. Naruto turned back to the tree and began focusing chakra to his feet. Once again Naruto was running full sprint up the tree. The boy tightened another strap and looked to see Naruto fall on his back. His glanced at the tree that was covered in cuts that didn't even make it halfway up. The boy chuckled.

"Wow, you really suck at that don't you." The boy said as he tightened another strap.

"No! I just… haven't quite… figured it out yet." Replied Naruto, as he began another try up the tree, only to fall back down to the ground.

"Dammit!" shouted Naruto. The boy turned to his dragon. Melra stared right back at him and nodded.

"Why should I?" The dragon growled and motioned her head towards Naruto.

"It's not my fault he's an idiot" said the boy as he crossed his arms. The dragon snarled bearing its teeth. The boy glared at Melra before sighing.

"Fine, I'll help him" the boy said as he made his way over to Naruto, who was lying on his back once more. The red eyed boy stared down at Naruto.

"You're trying too hard."

"What do you mean?" asked Naruto. The boy walked over to the tree and placed his hand on it.

"Even though you may not be able to feel it or see it, Chakra is everywhere. Even this tree has its own source of chakra. The trick is not to try and over power it, but connect with it. Get it?"

"What do you think I've been doing for the past four hours." replied Naruto.

"I know that you've been looking at this tree with the mentality like you are learning a new jutsu." The boy said as he turned to the tree and calmly began to walk on it until he was standing on the underside of a low branch.

"Your chakra flow is erratic and unstable. It's all in concentration. Focus your chakra so its flow is smooth and calm. Only then will you be able to control your chakra better and perform jutsu to their highest potential" the boy said as he dropped from the branch and flipped, landing on his feet. Naruto stared at the boy as he climbed up onto the saddle.

"Naruto Uzumaki" said Naruto as he looked at the boy.

"Jiro Draconiz" said Jiro as he smiled slightly.

"Well I see you two have met." Said Kaito as he made his way down the hill.

"Evening Jiro, Melra." Kaito said with a smile.

"Hey Uncle." Replied Jiro as Melra bowed her head slightly to Kaito.

"Going out?" asked Kaito as he sipped tea from his cup. Jiro nodded and grabbed the handle of the saddle.

"Just be back before dinner, you know how your mom gets when you're late."

"Got it" said Jiro. Melra roared and stretched her wings. She flapped her massive wings and soared into the sky. Naruto just stared at Kaito with an open mouth and a blank stare.

"That was a dragon… a huge dragon…" muttered Naruto.

"Yes, my clan specializes in them." Kaito replied and finished his tea.

"Anything else?" asked Naruto. Kaito looked at Naruto and smiled.

"Sorry, clan secrets." Kaito smirked as Naruto glared at him.

"Alright then Naruto, I think were done for today. I want you to practice this at home for a while."

"Where are you going?"

"Classified, but when I get back I expect you to be able to walk on that tree with nothing but your toes." Kaito said and glared. Naruto shivered slightly under his gaze.

"Y-Yes Sensei." Naruto mustered out. Kaito's face softened and he smiled.

"Well then get going." Naruto started walking up the hill that broke out into a run.

"See ya later sensei!" shouted Naruto as he disappeared over the hill. Kaito shook his head and laughed.

* * *

The sun was starting to set upon the leaf as the village began to glow with the city lights. Naruto was aimlessly walking around the village taking in the sights.

"Now what do I do?" Naruto asked himself. It was at that moment Naruto's stomach gave a loud rumble.

"Ramen time!" Naruto laughed as he began making his way to Ichiraku's. As Naruto was walking; thinking of what kind of ramen to get and ignoring the glares of the villagers, he rounded a corner and as fate would have it, ran straight into Hinata; knocking them both to the ground.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" Naruto said as he rubbed his forehead.

"I'm s-sorry N-Naruto-kun." Naruto's eyes popped wide open as he heard the soft voice.

"Oh I'm sorry Hinata; I didn't realize it was you. Are you ok?

"Y-yes I'm o-ok, what a-about you?"

"I'm good" Naruto stood on his feet then helped her up. As soon as she was on her feet Kaito's voice sounded in his head.

'Remember your manners Naruto' Naruto mentally nodded to himself and looked at Hinata.

"Hey I was just on my way to get ramen, want to come with me?" asked Naruto. Hinata stared at Naruto as her face turned a deep shade of red.

'Like a date? No, I think he's just being nice. Ok Hinata, don't faint, focus. It's just ramen with Naruto-kun.'

Hinata opened her mouth to say yes, but nothing came out. With her words failing her she simply nodded. Naruto smiled at Hinata and began walking again, Hinata falling in sync. They arrived at Ichiraku and ordered their ramen. They talked made small talk, with Naruto mostly talking about his training with Kaito.

* * *

Hidden away across the street in a Dango stand, sat Kaito. He casually sipped his tea as he watched Naruto and Hinata talk.

"Keeping an eye on your student?" said the third hokage as he sat down across from Kaito.

"Something like that" Kaito smirked. The third turned his head to look at the two. He saw Naruto making some very animated hand motions and Hinata sat there and giggled with the tell-tale blush on her face. Hiruzen smiled at this.

"That's the happiest I've seen him in a long time, He has a good friend in the young Hyuuga." Said the third as he lit his pipe. He took a long drag from the pipe and placed a closed envelope on the table. Kaito gave one last smile before he turned to Hiruzen.

"Those are my coordinates?" Kaito said, his tone becoming serious. The hokage nodded as smoke escaped from his mouth.

"Correct, he's somewhere in the land of Birds." Hiruzen said as Kaito nodded. He then grabbed the envelope and slipped it into a pocket on the inside of his jacket.

"I should be back in a week or two." Kaito stood and placed some money on the table.

"Did you get my request?" asked Kaito. The third looked up to him and nodded; frowning slightly.

"Are you sure, I could really use you in ANBU." Kaito looked back to Naruto and saw the two children leaving the ramen stand.

"Yeah, my mind is made up."

"I'll have the forms ready for when you get back." Kaito nodded and gave a slight bow before exiting the stand; leaving the third to his thoughts.

* * *

"And then this huge green dragon comes flying at me and almost takes my head off! It was crazy!" shouted Naruto. Hinata stared at him with wide eyes.

"T-That must have b-been scary"

"Eh… A little. Nothing I couldn't handle though. I'm going to be hokage after all" Naruto said as he crossed his arms behind his head; his face split into a wide grin. Hinata blushed and giggled slightly. They continued their walk in relative silence until they arrived at the gates of the Hyuuga compound.

"T-Thank you for w-walking me h-home, N-Naruto-kun" Hinata said as she smiled and blushed a light pink. As soon as she did the last rays of sun were just hitting over the horizon, illuminating Hinata's lavender eyes.

'Wow' Naruto thought. A small blush creeping across his face. Hinata saw this and her blush turned deeper.

'Why am I just staring? Talk dammit!' Naruto mentally shouted to himself.

"No problem Hinata-chan, I'll see you in class tomorrow. Goodnight" Naruto said. He turned around and started to make his way back to his apartment. Hinata stood there and watched him leave, too shocked to move.

'He just called me Hinata-chan!' Hinata thought to herself and almost fainted right there. She quickly shook her head and ran straight to her room. A huge smile plastered across her face for all of the clan to see.

* * *

Fires rolled across the rooftops like an ever burning inferno. Bodies littered the streets and the scent of blood filled the air. The village hidden in the leaves… destroyed. Naruto looked at the burning village; his eyes filled with fear.

"Naruto-kun" came a voice from behind him. Naruto whipped his head around and saw Hinata standing in the middle of the road.

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto tried to call out, but no sound came from his mouth. That was when he saw it. Standing behind Hinata was the outline of a huge beast; shrouded in flames and smoke. Nine tails lashed out across the city and its eyes glowed a sinister red. Naruto was shaking at the sight of the monster. The beast opened its mouth as flames flew out; engulfing Hinata.

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto screamed, but again there was no sound.

'**Pathetic human.'** Came a deep voice. The flames then rushed towards Naruto and consumed him as well.

"No!" Naruto shouted as he sat up in his bed. He was covered in sweat as a single tear rolled down his cheek.

"What was that…?" Naruto said as he tried to catch his breath. When he calmed down he laid back in his bed and stared at his ceiling.

'What in the world was that thing' Naruto thought to himself. He didn't get much time to think about it as the allure of sleep was too strong. Shutting his eyes he let sleep take over once more, hoping the nightmare would not return.

* * *

**Well here's another chapter, sorry its so late. I've been super busy lately, but now im able to focus on GD for awhile. Chapter 5 is currently in progress! Thanks for reading!- Spirit**

**(P.S.- The dragons I picture the Draconiz Clan riding are similar to the dragons in Eragon.)**


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